Mainland China's Dinnerware Exports Up 25 Percent to US$2.8 billion; European Union Imports Up 112 Percent

HONG KONG, June 8, 2006 – Global Sources' (NASDAQ: GSOL) China Sourcing Report: Dinnerware shows that mainland China exported US$2.8 billion worth of porcelain, ceramic, melamine and plastic dinnerware in 2005 – a year-on-year increase of 25 percent.

The EU became the main export market, due to the removal of quota restrictions. Sales to the region jumped 112 percent to US$433 million in 2005.

Manufacturers to raise dinnerware prices, increase production capacity
"Due to higher fuel costs, the majority of surveyed makers said they will increase prices in 2006," said editor of the report, Michael Kleist. "Many makers are countering rising fuel costs by installing energy-efficient kilns."

The survey shows 55 percent of dinnerware makers plan to increase prices, while 45 percent plan to hold prices.

Kleist said: "In 2006, the focus will be on new designs." According to surveyed makers:
· 71 percent will develop new shapes and designs;
· 13 percent will develop new material mixtures, and;
· 12 percent will focus on freezer-to-oven safe products.

The 120-page report includes detailed profiles of 69 mainland China manufacturers and features a product gallery with 209 top-selling export models. It also includes production and pricing forecasts as well as in-depth reports on major supply centers in mainland China.

Global Sources' China Sourcing Reports provide proprietary market information from extensive factory visits and in-person interviews with mainland China manufacturers. They help buyers make better-informed purchasing decisions.

China Sourcing Reports are part of Global Sources' sourcing and product information services, which include Global Sources trade magazines, Global Sources Online (http://www.globalsources.com), Global Sources Direct (http://www.globalsourcesdirect.com) and the China Sourcing Fairs (http://www.chinasourcingfair.com). For more information, visit http://www.corporate.globalsources.com.

China Sourcing Report: Dinnerware is available at www.globalsources.com/gstj/dinnerware.

About Global Sources
Global Sources is a leading business-to-business (B2B) media company and a primary facilitator of two-way trade with Greater China. The core business is facilitating trade from Greater China to the world, using a wide range of English-language media. The other key business segment facilitates trade from the world to Greater China using Chinese-language media.

The company provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. It helps a community of over 484,000 active buyers source more profitably from complex, overseas supply markets. With the goal of providing the most effective ways possible to advertise, market and sell, Global Sources enables suppliers to sell to hard-to-reach buyers in 230 countries.

The company offers the most extensive range of media and export marketing services in the industries it serves. It delivers information on 1.8 million products and more than 130,000 suppliers annually through 11 online marketplaces, 10 monthly magazines, over 100 sourcing research reports and 14 trade shows, including six China Sourcing Fairs. Suppliers receive more than 6.6 million sales leads annually from buyers through Global Sources Online (http://www.globalsources.com) alone.

Global Sources has been facilitating global trade for 35 years. In mainland China it has 1,400 team members in 44 locations, and a community of over 1 million registered online users and magazine readers for Chinese-language media.

Global Sources Press Contact in Asia:
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This release was published on openPR.